Carriage control for type-writers.



N. J. LLOYD. CARRIAGE CONTROL FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3| ISIL Patented 001;. 2,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

314mm NJLiqy N. l. LLOYD. CARRKAGE comm FOB we wmms.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. $917.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- N. J. LLOYD.

CARRIAGE CONTROL FOR TYPE WRITERS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. 1911.

1,241,865. Patented Oct. 2,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 72 @mgiw "if? 62 71 J6 as m In 64 6B woe/M100 a NJLiqy iuArEw J. LLOYD, orcnurrn, MONTANA.

CARRIAGE CONTROL FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 2, 191 '7.

Application filed February 3, 1917. Serial No. 146,432.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known'that I, NAFEW J. LLOYD, a

;citizen of the United States, residing at Butte, in the county of Silver Bow and State of Montana, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Carriage Controls for Type-Writers, of which the followin is a specification.

y invention relates to new and useful improvements in typewriters and more particularly to mechanism for controlling and actuating. the carriage and, platen of the typewriter, the primary object of my invention consisting in the provision of electrical means for returning the carriage to initial position after a. line has been writtenand fonturning the platen for the commence- [of successively operating solenoids having mentof a new line of writing.

In this connection, oneobject of my in-- vention resides in the provision of a pair plungers operativel connected to the carriage'sothat energlzation of the solenoids will cause a return movement of the carriage at anytime circuits are closed through the solenoids.

f A still further-object of my invention is to provide for a quick and certain return of .the carriage, irrespective of the length of the carriage and irrespective of its location [at the time its returnis desired. It is to accomplish thisobject'that I employ a pair' of sole'noids, instead c! a single solenoid in'order that the solenoids need not be as large as would otherwise be necessary to insure the proper length of movement of the carriage and in order that one or the other of the solenoid plungers shall at all times be at a point where it will be strongly aifected by its winding to thereby insure rapidity of action.

. Another ob ect of my invention resides in the. provision of an automatic switch for causing successive energization and deenergization of the windings of the solenoids to insure their proper step by step action and reveiitany possibility of one solenoid act- 1ng againstthe other.

A "still further object of my invention resides in so' arranging "the platen turning mechanism that it operates automatically upon the return of the carriage whether the carriage is returned manually or by the solenoids and in so arranging both the carriage return mechanism and platenturning mechanism-that the return-of the carriage Figure 1 is a rear elevation ofa conventional form of typewriter with my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a frag entary plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1; 5

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the construction of the solenoids, their supporting brackets and the" location of the automatic switch;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the switch itself; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the yokes employed in connecting the plunger of one solenoid with thetypewriter car-- riage;

Fig. 6 1s a perspective view of'a bracket employed as a bearing for the plunger of the other solenoid.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the key switch employed.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indiwriter structure being shown or described? as are essential to a clear understanding of my invention.

In the drawings, I illustrate a reciprocally mounted carriage 10 including the back bar 11 which reciprocates between upper.

and lower carnage race rails 12 and 13 which are adjustably secured to each' other "and to the frame 14 of the typewriter by the carriage race rail standards 15. The movement of the carriage in one direction is cone trolled by a left marginal stop 16 and in the other direction by a right marginalstop 17 through engagement of such stops with the usual stop lever-18 which, upon engaging the left marginal stop, is swung lIltO' usual rubber covered platen roll 22 and mounted on the ends of the shaft are the usual platen thumb twirlers 23 by means of which the platen may be manually turned while the carriage remains stationary. The

a usual line space mechanism 24 and line space gage mechanism 25 are provlded so that when the carriage is moved to the right by ressure exerted against the line space handle 26, the platen will be turned through one or more line spaces according to the setting of the gage. My present invention resides in'the provision of electrically actuated means for moving the carriage to the right to the full extent permitted by the right marginal stop at any time desired and for automatically turning the platen through one or more spaces, according to the setting of the line space gage upon such movement of the carriage.

My improved carriage return mechanismincludes a main solenoid 27 including the solenoid winding 28 and plunger 29 and a supplemental solenoid 30 including the winding 31 and plunger 32. The ends of the tubular portion 33 of the spool of the solenoid 27 are preferably extended beyond the heads of the. spool and passed through supporting plates 34 and 35 and flanged outwardly against such plates to secure the coil between them. In like manner, the tubular portion 36 of the spool of the solenoid 30 has its ends extended and passed through the upper portions of the plates 34 and 35 and secured in the same manner. The solenoid 27 is preferably larger than the solenoid 30 and the plate 35 is bent so that the left hand ends of the two solenoids, looking at them from the rear of the typewriter, will be in vertical al-inemcnt with each other and so that the central portion of the upper solenoid 30 will be at the left of the lower solenoid 27. The lower ends of the supporting plates 34 and 35 are formed .with feet 37 for attachment to a supporting bracket 38 secured to the lower rear portion of the frame 14 of the typewriter and at the left of the typewriter, looking at it from the rear.

The plunger 29 of the solenoid 27 is fixed to a rod of brass or other non-magnetic metal 39, one end of which is reciprocally mounted in a bearing bracket 40 mounted at the right of the typewriter frame and the carriage.

best shown in detail in Fig. 6 and theother end of which is journaled for reciprocation in a bracket 41 secured to the plate 34.

These bearing brackets are so arranged that the rod and plunger-carried by it are free to move axially of the solenoid winding 28, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The plunger 32 of the solenoid 30 is similarly fixed upon a brass rod 42, the ends of which are connected by yokes 43 with brackets 44 secured to the opposite ends of the back bar 11 of Each of the brackets 44 includes a body portion45, which is secured to the end of the back bar, and outwardly projecting spaced ears 46, between which one end of the adjacent yoke is pivoted by a pivot bolt Each yoke is substantially U-shaped and that end of each yoke pivoted to a bracket 44 is provided with a depending stop finger 48 which prevents downward swinging of the yoke below a horizontal plane, but which does not in any way interfere with the upward swinging of the yoke to a vertical or even an inclined position, as shown in dotted lines in F ig. 1. The opposite end of each yoke is provided with spaced ears 49 to receive eyes formed upon the end of the rod 42 in order that the yokes may be pivotally connected tothe ends of the rod 42 by pivot bolts 50. By this means, the plunger 32 and its rod 42 are supported for reciprocation axially .of the winding of the solenoid 30 and do not in any way interfere with the full movement of the carriage in either direction as in either extreme position of the carriage one arm of one or the other of the yokes will extend on one side of T a racerail standard 11 and the other upon the other side. Obviously, when the yokes are in horizontal position, which is their operating position, they project considerably-beyond the ends of the carriage and it is for this reason that I have pivotally connected them to the carriage and rod-42 so that when the typewriter is not in use they may be swung to the posit-ion shown in. dotted lines in Fig. 1 in order that the typewriter may occupy less space.

A lever 51 is pivoted at its lower end to the lower portion of the frame of the typewriter at that side opposite the solenoids and at its upper end projects somewhat above the rod 42. Its upper end is pivotally connected by a link 52 to the rod 42 and adjacent yoke 43, the pivot bolt 50 connecting such yoke with the rod also serving as a connection for the link 52. A link 53 also connects an intermediate portion of the lever with the rod 39 adjacent that end of the plunger 29 more remote from the solenoid 27. This lever and the links are so proportioned as to permit free reciprocation of the carriage in the usual manner, the rods 39 and 42 and plungers carried by them recipro .ting as the carriage moves and the U unison.

lever 51 and connecting links moving in Obviously, the carriage is at its extreme right hand position, looking at it from the rear, which the position occupied when a line has been finished, energization of the solenoid 27 will attract its plunger 29 and operate-through the link 53, lever 51 and link 52 to move the carriage toward'the left noid 27. At t until the plunger 29 is centered in its soleis time, the plunger 32 will have closely approached its solenoid so that if the solenoid 27 is now deenergized and the solenoid 30 energized, the movement of the carria drawing of the plunger 32 into its solenoid. This plunger is so mounted upon the rod 42 that when it reaches the center of the solenoid 30, the carriage will have reached its extreme left hand,.- viewed from the rear,

position. 7

'. To' prov1de automatically for the proper 1 successive energization and denergization of these solenoids, I furnish a switch 54, bestshown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. This switch includes a supporting body having a flange 56 which engages against the outerface. of the plate 34 between the solenoids. Contacts 57, 58 and 59 have threaded shank portions 60 which are passed through a block of insulation 61 mounted against the outer face of the flange 56, through insulating sleeves 62 pro ecting through the flange and through the plate 34 ed against the inner. face of the plate 34..

and through a block of insulation 63 mount- -ofthe solenoid 30 to the binding post of the contact 59, and the other terminals of both solenoids to the binding post ofthe contact 58. Preferably, the block pf insulation 61 is provided with extensions 66 which project between the contacts and thebody of the bracket to completely insure proper insulation ofthe'contactsfrom each other. A segmental [shaped switch-blade 67 is pivoted to the body 55 of the switch and along its arcuateiedgehasza lateral flange 68 Whl'Ch carries aFOQIitact.'-Strip 69- insulated from the flange 'by,;fa;-block'-of insulation 70. The ends of -thetconta ct's'57 and 59 are shaped to be encontact ga'ged by-"this contact strip 69, while the cientlyto be engaged by the strip .69. A

lever arm 71,; formed integrally with the sector 67, hasfa forked-terminal. 72 which projects at one. side of thejrod 42 and .pro-

e will be continued, due to the 581=is so constructed as to form a, lbindirig *post' and does not project suflie/ jecting from the rod 42 isja 73 adapted to engage within the fork of the'leiier arm to swing thedever during reciprocation"of the rod. Th1s pin is so ocated that when the rods 39 and 42 are moving, due to ener gizatlon of the solenoids, the pin 7 3will en gage the lever arm to swing it and movethe contact strip 69 into simultaneous engagement with the contacts'57 and 59 just prior A n01d 27 so thatwhen the plunger is centered. in the solenoid 27, the lever will have, been. swung out of engagcmentwith the "contact 57 while still remaining eh'gagcmentfwithf to the centering of the plunger 29 in the sole the contact 59. As onewi're'of. the energizing circuit is connected "with thebinding,

post 58 and the other. to the contact strip 69,

it will therefore be seen that when the con-f tact 69 is in engagement with the contact 57 the solenoid Wlll be energized, whi1e'when the contact 69 is in engageinentflwith the contact 59, the solenoid 30 will be energized, both solenoids, of course, being energized when the contact strip 69 bridges; the con tacts 57 and 59. a

A switch 74, of any. suitable type, such as that best shown in Fig.7, is provided for controlling the circuit to the automatic switch and solenoids andis preferably mounted so that its finger piece'75 is dis-j posed at some convenient part of thekeyboard 76 of the typewriter.

' In addition to the above described mecha nism, I provide means for'automatically turning the platen upon the return of the carriage. This platen turning mechanism is fully described andillustrated in a copending application filed by me Feb. 3, 1917, and:

bearing the Serial No. 146,433 and need not, therefore, be explained at length in this application. This mechanism, as will be best seen byreference to Figs. 1,and 2 of the drawings, includes a lever arm .77 which is fixed to the shaft of the line'space mechanism 24 and which, at its free end, ,is pivotally connected to a link 78 which in turn is pivotally connected to the lowerendof a platen turning lever 79 which is pivoted upon a screw 80 threaded into the stop stud 19. The right marginal stop 17 carries a roller 81 mounted upon an abutment 81 against which the upper end of thelever Wlll engage just prior to the-complete return of the carriage so that as the carriage finishes its return movement, the lever 7 9 will be swungto act through the link 78 toswing the lever 77 and, consequently, actuate" the line space mechanism 24 to. turn the platen to whatever extent is desired, a. dependent upon the setting of the line. space gage mechanism 25. v p e U -From the foregoing description, taken a in connection with the drawings, the general operation of m invention will be readily, [understood and ut slight description is nec- 'tion showninll-Fig. 1 so that current may essary. Assuming that a line of writing has been. completed, the operatorof the typewriter may return the carriageand. advance the platen one or more spaces, depending upon the setting of the line space gage, (Joy pass the binding post of the contact 58 through the winding of the. solenoid 27 to the contact 57 and contact strip. 69 back to the switch key. This energization of the solenoid 27 will attract the plunger 29 and,

consequently, act through the lever 51 to,

start the carriage upon its return movement. Just before the lunger 29 reaches the center of the solenoid 27, the pin 7 3 will engage the automatic switch lever.7l to bring the contact 69 into? engagement with both of the movement of the carriage.

the contacts 57 and 59 so that both solenoids will momentarily work together to continue By the time the plunger 29 is centered in its solenoid, the switch lever will be further turned to break the circuit to the solenoid 27 while still keeping the circuit to the solenoid30 closed. The plunger 32 of the solenoid 30 has, by this time, come into the field of attraction of the solenoid and will, therefore, be drawn into it to complete the further movement of the carriage." As the carriage reaches the limit of its movement, the amount of such movement being governed by the marginal stop 17, the lever 79 will engage the abutment 81 to turn the shaft of the line space mechanism and so turn the platen. When this operation is completed, the key 75 is released to open the circuit and the operator may proceed with the writing. During the movement of the type writer carriage, while writing the following line, the pin 73 will again engage the arm of the automatic switchflso that when the line is completed, the switch will have been returned to its normal position shown in Fig. 1. Obviously, however, one or the other of the plungers of the solenoids is always in position to be attracted by its solenoid and the automatic switch is always in position to close a'circuit through such solenoid or, if both solenoids are in position to be acted, through both solenoids. There fore, the electric return of the carriage may be assured whether an entire line has been written or only-a few words on a line.

'As a, n1atter of fact, it is important that both solenoids operate together for a brief interval priorto the complete return of the carriageiin order that the carriage may gain {additional impetusto effectively and quickly the platen turning mechanism. (9f

menses It should be noted that numerous. typewriters do not employ carriage race rail standards, such as shown at 11, and unless such standards areemployed the use of the yokes 43 is unnecessary as bracket arms may {be run readily from the carriage directly to the ends of the plunger rod 42 if there is no typewriter structure to obstruct their passage during movement of the-carriage. For

these reasons, I 'reserve'the right to make any changes which may fall within the scope of the appended-claims without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my invention. Attention should also be paid to the fact that by providing frusto-conical plungers forthe solenoids, the magnetic center is thrown 'to the right, looking at themachine from the rear, thereby giving the longer pull for the solenoids before their plungers are magnetically centered withoutafi'ecting the strength of the initial pull.

Plungers .of this type, when employed in con nection with my invention, are therefore far superior to the ordinary cylindricalplungers.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a typewriter, the combinationwith a reciprocally mounted carriage, of a rod supported by the carriage and in. parallel spaced relation thereto, a plunger carried by the rod, and a solenoid through which the rod and plunger are movable whereby energization of the solenoid may move the carriage. 2. In a typewriter, the combination with a frame, and a carriage reciprocally mounted on the frame, of a pair of solenoids supported by the frame, plungers for the sole noids, reciprocally mounted rods carrying the plungers, operative connection between one of-the rods and the carriage whereby the two will reciprocate in unison, and. operative connection etween the rods.

3. In atypewriter, the combination with a frame, and a carriage reciprocally mounted on the frame, of a pair of solenoids supported by the frame, plungers for the solenoids, reciprocally mounted rods carrying the plungers, operatve connection between one of the rods and the carriage whereby the two will reciprocate in unison, and operative connection between the rods,: said latter connection being such that irrespecs tive of the position of the carriage one or another of the plungers is in position to be attracted by its solenoid.

4. in 'a typewriter, the combination with a frame, and a carriage reciprocally mounted on the frame, of a pair of solenoids supported by the frame, plungers for the sole noids, reciprocally mounted rods carrying the plungers, operative connection between one of the rods and the carriage whereby the two will reciprocate in unison, and operative connection between the rods, said connection being such that the plungers will successively move into the field of attraction of their solenoids.

5. In a typewriter, the combination with a frame, and a carriage reciprocally mounted on the frame, of a pair of solenoids supported by the frame, plungers for the solenoids, connecting means between one of the plunger-s and the carriage wherebythe two will move in unison, connecting means between the other plunger and the first mentioned connecting means whereby the plungers will have a certain relative movement in common, a twobranch circuit, each branch including one of the solenoids, a manually operable switch controlling the circuit, and an automatic switch controlling the branches of the circuit.

6. In a typewriter, the combination with a frame, and a carriage reciprocally mounted on the frame, of a pair of solenoids supported by the frame, plungers for the solenoids, connecting means'between one of the plungers and the carriage whereby the two will move in unison, connecting means between the other plunger and the first mentioned connecting means whereby the plungers will have a certain relative movement in common, a two-branch circuit, each branch including one of the solenoids, a manually operable switch controlling the circuit, and

an automatic switch controlling the branches of the circuit, said automatic switch being controlled by the first mentioned plunger in its movement and at all times acting to establish its circuit through one or the other of the solenoids, dependent upon the positions of their plungers.

7. In a t ewriter, the combination with a frame, an a carriage reciprocally mounted on the frame, of a pair of solenoids supported by the frame, plungers for the solenoids, connecting means' between one of the plungers and the carriage whereby the two will move in unison, connecting means between the other plunger and the first mentioned connecting means whereby the plungers will have a certain relative movement in common, a two -branch circuit, each branch mcludmg one of the solenoids, a

manually operable switch controlling the circuit, and an automatic switch controlling the branches of the circuit, said automaticswitch being controlled by the first mentioned plunger in its movement and at .all times acting to establish its circuit throughvone orjthe 'other of the solenoids,

dependent upon the positions of their plungers, the switch being arranged to close the circuit through one solenoid, to-subsequently close circuits throu h both solenoids when the plunger of the first solenoid'approaches its position of greatest attraction and to then open the circuit to the first solenoid while keeping the circuit to the second solenoid closed.

8. In a typewriter, the combination with a reciprocally mounted carriage, and a platen rotatably supported thereon, of a pair of solenoids, plungers for the solenoids, and operative connections between the plungers and carriage whereby the solenoids may successively operate to produce an uninterrupted movement of the carriage.

9. In a typewriter, the combination with a reciprocally mounted carriage, and a platen rotatably supported thereon, of a pair of solenoids, plungers for the solenoids, operative connections between the plungers and carriage whereby the solenoids may successively operate to produce an uninterrupted movement of the carriage, and an automatic switch controlling, the solenoids and operating to render both solenoids effeetive immediately prior to the last part of the movement of the carriage to increase the rate of such movement.

10. In a typewriter, the combination with,

a reciprocally mounted carriage, and a platen rotatably supported thereon, of a pair of solenoids, plungers for the solenoids, operative connections etween the plunge'rs and carriage whereby the solenoids may successively operate to produce an uninterrupted movement of the carriage, an automatic switch controlling the solenoidsand operating to render both solenoids effective immediately prior to the last part of the movement of the carriage to increase the rate of such movement, and means for automatically turning the platen as the carriage reaches the limit of its movement.

11. In a typewriter the combination with a frame and reciprocally -mounted carria e, of a solenoid supported by the frame an including a plunger, a rod extending through and carrying the plunger, and U shaped members connected'by one arm to opposite ends of the carriage and by their throu h and carrying the plunger, and I shape members connected by one arm to opposite ends 'ofthe carriage and by their other arms to opposite ends of the rod, the connections between the members, rod and carriage being such that the members will normally lie horizontal but may be swung upwardly and inwardly toward each other.

- mei eee v 13. In a typewriter, the combination with the solenoids, an automatic switch controla frameand a carriage reciprocally mounted ling the branches of the circuit,- a forked 1e the frame, of a pair of solenoids suplever for operating the switch, andan abute ported by-the frame, plunger-s for the solement carried by one of the plungers and en- 5 noids, connecting means between one of the gageable with the forked lever to control ghlngers and the carriage, connecting means the switch. betweenxthe p1ungers,a two-branch control- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. fing cirouit, each'brench inciuding' one of NAFEW J. LLOYD. [1,. s.] 

